What is the Coimbra self-guided walking tour?
The Coimbra self-guided walking tour is a self-paced audio walk: everything you need is on your phone, and at every stop the narration explains the place in front of you. Count on about 3 hours in total, with 37 minutes of actual walking along a 2.2 km route that links 10 stops. The route climbs from the lower town to the top of the hill, so the stories move from Portugal's first kings to centuries of student life.
At the Church of Santa Cruz the narration points out the tombs of Afonso Henriques and Sancho I, Portugal's first two kings, behind a façade reworked in the Manueline style. At the Arco de Almedina you hear that the gate's name comes from the Arabic word for city, and at the Sé Velha why a cathedral was given battlements like a fortress. Beneath the Machado de Castro museum lie the vaulted galleries that once held up the forum of Roman Aeminium. The Sé Nova began as the Jesuits' church and became the cathedral only after their expulsion, and the Botanical Garden was laid out in 1772 as part of the Marquis of Pombal's university reform.
- Durationabout 3 hours
- Walkingabout 37 min · 2.2 km
- Stops10
- LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese
On the audio walk
Stories at every stop
Arrive at a stop and the narration begins with how the place came to be, who lived or worked there, the legends attached to it and the small details worth a second look. You can read the same text on screen instead.
Directions on the map
Between stops you follow Google Maps, 2.2 km and about 37 minutes of walking in all, at whatever speed suits you.
Coffee breaks on your terms
Leave the route for a coffee, a meal or a museum visit and pick the narration up again later that day or on another day.
Food, shops and your own order
Tips for local food and shops near the route come with the walk, and the app lets you choose a different first stop or rearrange the order.
See the route and attractions →
How it works
- Book online Choose the number of people. Your booking reference arrives by email straight away.
- Get the app Download the World City Trail app from the App Store or Google Play and enter your booking reference.
- Walk when you like Start whenever you are ready, walk at your own pace and pause any time. No guide, no fixed schedule.
Who will enjoy the audio walk
Visitors new to Coimbra
You see the main landmarks in one connected walk, together with the background that explains them.
Independent travellers
No group, no departure time and nobody telling you to move on, so you linger where you like and walk on when you have seen enough.
Anyone short on time
Around 3 hours covers the whole route, which leaves the rest of the day open.
Good to know
- Bring a charged smartphone with mobile data; a power bank helps.
- No entry tickets needed: everything happens outside the buildings. Going inside is optional and paid separately.
- Family friendly; children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Not suitable for wheelchair users and difficult with strollers.
- Groups of up to 5 work best; larger groups split up, one ticket per person.
- Every purchase helps support stray cats and dogs in Greece.
Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Prettig leesbare info bij de punten. Aan de hand van de foto’s die erbij staan kun je zien of je bij het juiste punt staat. Maar de routebegeleiding via Google maps is op zich al duidelijk. Het is fijn dat je in eigen tempo kunt lopen, tussendoor een stop maken of de volgende dag verder gaan
Colombia –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Lekker op je eigen tempo een mooie wandeling langs de bezienswaardigheden. (Soms wat veel tekst, maar je kunt er zo snel doorheen bladeren als je wilt.) Leuk om wat meer achtergrondinformatie te krijgen over wat je ziet.
Helen– Spain –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Ontzettend leuk en boeiend. In korte tijd heel veel geleerd op een heel persoonlijke wijze. Warm aanbevolen! Onze gids heette Nuno. Toppie.
Jose Javier Gomez– Spain –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Muy bien y sobre todo las explicaciones son suficientes
Chantal– Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Wandelen door de stad met uitleg, op je eigen tempo. Heel fijn !
Richard– Portugal –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Gute Beschreibung der 10 Top Sehenswürdigkeiten, zeitlich unabhängig